The goals of the UCSF Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and the UCSF/SFSU Graduate Program are to prepare clinicians, researchers and educators in physical therapy through dynamic academic learning experiences, patient care and scholarly activities, and to provide evidence based clinical physical therapy, and wellness services.

Academic Programs

The UCSF Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science supports three academic programs with San Francisco State University.

UCSF/SFSU DPT Program in Physical Therapy
prepares physical therapists who can apply the foundation of science, general clinical observations and scholastic inquiry to the delivery of high quality, culturally sensitive education, screening, evaluation and intervention services including therapeutic exercise, physical modalities, manual techniques (e.g. joint, soft tissue and neural mobilization), learning based task and mental practice, mobility and behavioral training across the continuum of age, disease, injury, pain and degenerative conditions.

Students become experts in the evaluation and treatment of patients with movement dysfunction and are prepared to practice independently or as part of a team in

1. outpatient primary care sites
2. physical therapy clinics
3. fitness centers
4. hospitals
5. long term care facilities
6. sports medicine centers
7. outpatient hospital settings
8. rehabilitation centers
9. home

The student completes the DPT program, and may then sit for the state liscensing examination.

UCSF/SFSU POST Professional DPT Program in Physical Therapy supplements graduate learning beyond the masters level physical therapy training to prepare scholarly clinicians who are able to integrate research evidence, theoretical constructs and scholastic inquiry into the delivery of high quality, primary and specialty patient care services. The graduate is expected to be able to practice autonomously or as part of a team and to integrate critical inquiry and clinical research to assure the highest quality of care.

UCSF/SFSU DPTSc Program in Physical Therapy prepares experienced clinicians in physical therapy to become clinician scholars committed to teaching health science professionals in physical therapy and building the evidence base of physical therapy practice through independent clinical and translational research.

Clinical Services

The Department provides culturally sensitive, scholarly patient care services within the context of a faculty practice. The faculty practice integrates research evidence and specialty training, to deliver high quality care to patients and serves as a center of excellence for teaching physical therapy graduate students.   The students also gain clinical learning experiences in community-based health care facilities throughout California (125 sites).

Research

The Department and the UCSF/SFSU Graduate program in Physical Therapy facilitate innovative thinking and scholarly activities in order to build the evidence base of clinical practice in Physical Therapy. Faculty and students critique the research literature and collaborate in and lead basic science, translational or clinical research.